Fighting addiction

By Daisy Sells14-10-2016

Russell Brand, London’s most notorious, self-confessed ruffian and all round character chameleon has found a wholesome way to continue his vagabond ways by casting himself as a ‘Robin Hood-esque’ fellow, taking the riches, both social and mental, gained at his not-for-profit café and donating it to the poor via charity RAPt.

The Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust, known as RAPt, work tirelessly and, it must be said, thanklessly, to support ex-prisoners and people struggling with addiction.

The Trew Era Café, in the New Era estate, was opened by Brand last year who hailed it as a ‘fully self-supporting, new economic enterprise’. The Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust, known as RAPt, described the donation as a wonderful opportunity for them to boost their work.

The cafe, which fuses the estate's name with that of Brand's YouTube show, The Trews, will become one of RAPt's so-called recovery enterprises, which are staffed and managed by recovering addicts.

David Bernstein, RAPt Chairman of Trustees, said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for RAPt to further strengthen our employment and enterprise activities for ex-offenders and recovering addicts. We're enormously grateful to Russell for his generosity in donating the cafe."

Brand said: "I'm donating this cafe to RAPt - a great charity that helps prisoners stay clean. If I ever get sent down I hope this'll mean I get a cushy job in the library."